1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to highly-resilient thermoplastic elastomer compositions, their manufacture and their use as a substitute for thermoset and thermoplastic materials, particularly in the manufacture of one-, two-, three-piece, and multi-layered golf balls, particularly to thermoplastic polymer blend compositions useful therein. These compositions are also useful as foamed materials in footware and other sport balls such as softballs.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, thermoset materials such as polybutadiene rubber, cross-linked EVA, cross-linked SBS, and cross-linked urethanes have been used in applications where properties such as resilience, durability, and low hardness are needed. For example, polybutadiene rubber has traditionally been used in the cores and centers of golf balls.
There currently exist several types of premium golf balls, particularly three-piece balls, two-piece balls and multi-layered balls. xe2x80x9cThree-piecexe2x80x9d balls typically have a spherical molded center, having an elastomeric thread-like material wound around it, covered with either a thermoplastic or thermoset material. xe2x80x9cTwo-piecexe2x80x9d balls typically have a spherical molded core covered with a thermoplastic material. xe2x80x9cMulti-layeredxe2x80x9d balls typically have a core and one or more intermediate layers or mantles between the core and a cover.
The material used to mold the three-piece centers and the two-piece and multi-layer cores has traditionally been a thermoset rubber such as polybutadiene rubber. There are, however, major disadvantages in using thermoset rubbers such as the inability to recycle scrap materials and the need for complex multi-step manufacturing processes. There has been only limited success in attempts to replace the thermoset materials with more-easily-processed thermoplastic materials, the scrap of which can be recycled.
Also, three-piece balls, two-piece balls, and multi-layered balls are by their very nature more complicated and costly to manufacture than the long sought after one-piece golf ball. Attempts to make a premium one-piece ball have heretofore not been successful. Limited-flight range balls, however, have been produced from thermoset rubber and from certain thermoplastic material as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,157.
U.K. Patent Application 2,164,342A describes one attempt to replace centers and cores and achieve a one-piece golf ball. It teaches moldable compositions comprising ionic copolymers (or potentially ionizable acid copolymers) blended with certain thermoplastic materials such as a polyether block copolyamide, polyether block copolyester and the like. Those compositions are said to be useful as three-piece centers, two-piece cores and one-piece solid golf balls, but they lack properties such as durability. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,157 describes a thermoplastic material for cores, centers and one-piece balls. The resins described in this patent can be molded into golf ball parts but the resulting balls are too hard and not resilient enough to perform as a premium golf ball and they are probably too expensive.
There still exists the need for a thermoplastic material that is resilient and durable enough with a low enough hardness or compression to be useful as a three-piece center, two-piece core, a one-piece golf ball, and in cores and mantles in a multi-layered golf ball in premium golf balls. Particularly, there is a need for such a material that is not too expensive.
The subject invention provides thermoplastic compositions having high resilience, methods of manufacturing such compositions, and products made therefrom, such as components of one-, two- and three-piece golf balls or multi-layered golf balls, sport balls and footware.
More specifically, the thermoplastic composition of this invention is a composition comprising (a) an ethylene, C3xe2x88x928 xcex1,xcex2-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer; (b) a high molecular weight, monomeric organic acid or salt thereof; (c) a thermoplastic elastomer polymer selected from copolyetheresters, copolyetheramides, block styrene polydiene thermoplastic elastomers, elastomeric polyolefins, and thermoplastic polyurethanes; (d) a cation source; and (e) a filler (optionally present). Preferably, component (b) is present at about 10 to about 45 weight percent (wt. %) of (a), (b) and (c) provided that component (b) does not exceed 50 wt. % of (a) plus (b); component (c) is present at about 1 to about 35 wt. % of (a), (b) and (c); and (d) is present at a level sufficient to neutralize 80 to 110 (preferably 90 to 110, or 95 to 110) percent of the combined acid content of (a) and (b). Component (e) is optionally added as needed to adjust density in a preferred range of up to 60 parts per 100 parts by weight of components (a) through (d).
The present invention further provides golf ball components, particularly cores, centers, and mantles (one or more layers between the cover and the central portion of ball) and one piece golfballs, comprising the compositions of (a) an ethylene, C3xe2x88x928 xcex1,xcex2-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer; (b) about 10 to about 45 weight percent (wt. %) of (a), (b) and (c) provided that component (b) does not exceed 50 wt. % of (a) plus (b) of a high molecular weight, monomeric organic acid or salt thereof; (c) about 1 to about 35 wt. % of (a), (b) and (c) of a thermoplastic elastomer polymer selected from copolyetheresters, copolyetheramides, block styrene polydiene thermoplastic elastomers, elastomeric polyolefins, and thermoplastic polyurethanes; (d) a cation source present at a level sufficient to neutralize 50 to 110 (preferably 80 to 110, 90 to 110, or 95 to 110) percent of the combined acid content of (a) and (b); and optionally (e) a filler in a preferred range of up to 60 parts per 100 parts by weight of components (a) through (d).
Preferable ranges, particularly for use in golf ball components, for components (a) through (e) are as set forth in the following table (Component (a) is always present and component (d), in each case, is present at a level sufficient to neutralize 50 to 110 percent or the combined acid content of (a) and (b). Percentages of (b) and (c) are the approximate weight percentages based on the total weight of (a) through (c). Component (e) is reported as parts per hundred parts of by weight of (a) through (d). Component (b) should be within the ranges set forth provided that component (b) does not exceed 50 wt. % of (a) plus (b)).
One embodiment of a product using such composition is a piece golf ball comprising (a) ethylene acid copolymer, (b) 10-45 wt. % molecular weight, monomeric organic acid or salt thereof provided component (b) does not exceed 50 wt. % of (a) plus (b), (c) 1-30 wt. % moplastic, (d) sufficient cation to neutralize 50 to 110 percent of the in the acid copolymer and organic acid, and (e) sufficient filler, preferably 15-25 parts per hundred weight of polymer (a)-(d), to adjust density of ball to 1.14 grams/cubic centimeter (gm/cc). Preferably the filler a density of about 4 gm/cc or greater.
Another embodiment of such a product is a two-piece golf ball having a core and a cover. The core is made of a composition comprising (a) ethylene acid copolymer, (b) 10-45 wt. % high molecular weight, monomeric organic acid or salt thereof provided that component (b) does not exceed 50 wt. % of (a) plus (b), (c) 1-30 wt. % thermoplastic elastomer, (d) sufficient cation to neutralize 50 to 110 percent of the acid in the acid copolymer and organic acid, and (e) sufficient filler, preferably 15-35 parts per hundred parts by weight of (a) through (d), to adjust the density of the core to about 1.18-1.22 gm/cc. The amount of filler can be adjusted to produce a core with a density varying from the 1.18 gm/cc depending on the diameter of the core and the thickness and composition of the cover to produce a golf ball meeting the weight limits (45 grams) set by the professional golfers"" governing authority (e.g. U.S. Golf Association). Preferably the filler has a density of about 4 gm/cc or greater.
Another embodiment is a three-piece golf ball having a center, elastomeric wrapping and a cover. The center is made of a composition comprising (a) ethylene acid copolymer, (b) 5-35 wt. % high molecular weight, monomeric organic acid or salt thereof provided that component (b) does not exceed 50 wt. % of (a) plus (b), (c) 10-35 wt. % thermoplastic elastomer, (d) sufficient cation to neutralize 50 to 110 percent of the acid in the acid copolymer and organic acid, and (e) sufficient filler, preferably 40-60 parts per hundred parts by weight (a) through (d), to adjust the density of the center to about 1.8 gm/cc. As with the two-piece ball, the amount of filler can be adjusted depending on the size, thickness and composition of the other ball components to produce a golf ball of the desired weight (e.g. about 45 grams).
Another embodiment is a multi-layer golf ball having a core and a cover with one or more intermediate layers or mantles between the core and the cover. Sometimes the xe2x80x9ccorexe2x80x9d is referred to in the industry and in this application as a xe2x80x9ccenter.xe2x80x9d Both the core and the mantle(s) can comprise the composition of this invention. The amount of filler employed in the core and mantle(s) can be varied from 0 to about 60 parts per hundred parts by weight of (a) through (d) depending on the size (thickness) of the components and the desired location of the weight in the ball, provided that the final ball meets the required weight limits. The filler can be used in the core and not in the mantle, in the mantle and not in the core, or in both. Thus, the mantle or the core can comprise (a) ethylene acid copolymer, (b) about 5-30 wt. % high molecular weight, monomeric organic acid or salt thereof provided that component (b) does not exceed 50 wt. % of (a) plus (b), (c) 1-35 wt. % thermoplastic elastomer, (d) sufficient cation to neutralize 50 to 110 percent of the acid in the acid copolymer and organic acid, and (e) sufficient filler, if needed, to adjust the density to the desired level.
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present invention allows unique golf ball constructions, which are also the subject of this invention. For example, the weight of the golf ball can be distributed differently than in current golf balls. It is possible to have more weight near the surface of the ball or midway between the center and the surface with a lower density center. It is also possible with the thermoplastic composition of this invention as the core to mold a pattern such as dimples into the core. By doing so, it is possible to obtain a golf ball having a cover with a uniform thickness throughout in contrast to presently available golf balls which have covers that are thinner in the area of the dimples.